Direct financial support is available for those most in need to help cover the costs of utilities such as water, gas and electric, with the distribution of the Household Support Fund (HSF).
North Herts Council has recently awarded £40k of the fund from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to the following organisations:
- £15,000 to North Herts Citizens’ Advice, to provide financial assistance to private sector tenants
- £15,000 to Settle Group, to provide financial assistance to social housing tenants
- £5,000 to First Garden City Homes, to provide financial assistance to social housing tenants
- £5,000 to North Herts Minority Ethnic Forum, to provide financial assistance to members of their communities in the private rented sector.
Each organisation applied for the money to help their particular client group and money can be spent on water, gas and electric bills, food, and items to help keep warm and clean. Please note you can’t directly apply for money, organisations will know who to contact.
Jeanette Thompson, Legal and Community Service Director at North Herts Council, said: “As part of the nationwide effort to recover following the pandemic, and with the cost of living rising, this money from the Household Support Fund will go directly to our residents most in need, to help them with their energy and food bills.
“We received the money in January and it needs to be spent by the end of March – by allocating it to these four organisations to distribute, we are confident that the money will be given to those most in need within this timeframe.”
The money was allocated from the £6.2m county fund to support various organisations as well as Hertfordshire County Council to provide a range of services including free school meals, supermarket vouchers for food and winter essentials, and help to those in fuel poverty – further information: Household Support Fund in Hertfordshire.
If you are not contacted and/or feel you are in crisis, please call HertsHelp on 0300 123 4044.
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